November 15- Panagia Pamakaristos and Chora Monastery

After the ferry trip went to lunch and mentioned to Fr Stephanos that I would really like to go see Chora so he arranged for Pangioti to take me around again. It is really nice having your own private tour guide. The first stop was to Panagia Pammakaristos which is relatively near the Patriarchate. It was the Patriarchal Cathedral from 1456 to 1587 and then appropriated and turned into Fetiye Mosque to celebrate the conquest of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Not only did the Ottomans build new mosques (that imitate Agia Sophia) they also appropriated Orthodox Churches for the same purpose.  This Church was originally two churches. The main Church was built in the 12th Century and a second chapel was built but the wife of the nephew of Emperor Michael VIII Paleologos as a funerary chapel in the late 13th Century and joined to the first Church.

Most of these churches and sites are in the middle of old neighborhoods. We need to remember that this is the Old City. I haven't really seen modern Istanbul yet. I have caught glimpses of it going from one place to another. The Patriarchate and the Holy Sites of Orthodoxy are in the middle of the ancient city. But in reality is there any "Modern Istanbul" in a place that has been the capital of two Empires- Roman (Rum) and Ottoman and has existed for 2000+ years can anything really be modern. I'm from a place (the US) that ancient is considered 1700's or 1800's and I am looking at places way older than that. I'm treading streets that have been here for centuries.

The Church of Panagia Pammakaristos has gone some very amazing mosaics that have been uncovered. The amazing part of these churches- at least for me- is how the liturgical actions that we have today seem to transcend time. Our Churches always had narthex, nave, holy of holies. This is true of Agia Sophia and it is true of all Churches I have visited and it is true in my own Church in Downey. I think I can define Chapel in a new way. A Chapel is distinct from a Church because it usually has no definable Narthex. It may have an area that functions as a Narthex (for lighting candles).

Under the Anastasi at Chora

We left Panagia Pammakaristos for one of the most awesome Churches because of its iconography and mosaics. The Monastery of Christ in Chora. The original Church in Chora dates from the 8th century and suffered greatly at the Latin Invation of 1204 when it was plundered. After the recapture of Constantinople by the Emperors, the Church became an place of pilgrimage by the Emperors as it was close to the Blachernae Palace. In 1315- 1321, an Imperial Diplomat by the name of Theodore Metochites renovated the Church. This Church contains the epitome of 14th century iconography and mosaics.

More pictures can be found at:

http://taxidiaris.blogspot.com/2010/05/chora-church-constantinople-istanbul.html

Jesus Christ- the Land (Chora) of the Living

After we left Chora we started the back roads to the Patriarchate one of the most interesting pictures I took out of the moving car was the following. Animals in the middle of the city. Cows and sheep primarily.


 I was about to be introduced to "Bayram."